A chance encounter in Likely during the 2017 wildfires was one of the highlights of an awards ceremony conducted by the Upper Fraser Valley Regional Detachment on June 5.
The Recognizing Excellence awards ceremony saluted exceptional performances and service to the communities of the Upper Fraser Valley, but one member had a special connection to the Cariboo.
The officer, a Chilliwack RCMP member, was awarded for his compassion during an investigation.
In October of 2014, a mother living in Alberta called the Chilliwack RCMP to report her son as a missing person. Throughout the search the RCMP investigator remained in close touch, “showing genuine care and concern, providing encouragement until her son was found,” stated a release by the RCMP.
“I received a call from the officer and he put my son on the phone… he was safe! He (the officer) took my son to a safe place and so was the beginning a a new life for my boy,” said the thankful mother.
That same officer was deployed to the Cariboo during the B.C. wildfires. At one point, entering an establishment in Likely, he was offered a cup of coffee by a patron.
As fate would have it, the cup of coffee came from the same mother to the same RCMP officer who supported her in 2014.
“The compassion, integrity and respect offered by the officer exemplified commitment to the community and the RCMP Core Values,” said the RCMP.
At the ceremony, more than 90 awards were presented to officers, support staff, and civilians for their actions, including an off duty officer who helped an injured hiker down an embankment, investigations leading to the seizure of firearms and illegal drugs, and an off duty officer who took action in an active shooter situation in a remote location prior to police arriving at the scene.
“It is my honour to acknowledge each recipient this evening for their dedication, courage and perseverance to achieve these extraordinary deeds,” said Superintendent Bryon Massie, Officer in Charge of the Upper Fraser Valley Regional Detachment.
“I applaud family, friends, and co-workers, who every day support all of our officers in the communities they serve.”